TORONTO - Those who wield the guns in Toronto and the victims whose lives they've snuffed out both seem to be getting younger all the time.

And anyone who has been paying attention to the city's latest wave of deadly shootings, which have left four dead and at least six wounded, will no doubt notice another obvious factor.

"The fact is, is that it's young black males who are dying," Kemi Omololu-Olunloyo, a crime victim advocate, said Thursday.

She knows there will be people within her community who will be angered by what she has to say.

But she's hoping that anger will motivate people to get involved in helping to stop the bloodshed.

"Until we find a way to get our youth engaged, they're just going to keep shooting each other," Omololu-Olunloyo said bluntly.

So far this year, there have been 28 gun murders in Toronto.

Shockingly, 25 of the victims are black males.

And just as troubling is the fact that 10 of the 28 victims were still teens.

The youngest victims were Sealand White, who was gunned down in a double murder in Regent Park last month, and Devonte Gonde-Prosper, who was fatally shot in May. Both boys were only 15.

It's also worth noting that only five of this year's gun killings have led to charges, Omololu-Olunloyo said.

There have been 12 arrests in those cases, all black males, many just teenage boys, she pointed out.

Part of the problem, Omololu-Olunloyo said, is that there are so-called role models within the black community telling kids not to snitch.

"But if you don't use Crime Stoppers to get justice for your friends or your family, then your loved ones will be just another statistic," she said.

Omololu-Olunloyo is a strong supporter of the anonymous tip line.

She believes kids should be educated about Crime Stoppers, through seminars and social media, at a younger age.

"We should start at seven years old," she said. "There are kids that young in Toronto who know the killers in some of these murders. We need to get them talking."

Omololu-Olunloyo also believes parents have to get more involved.

"Many parents are not paying attention to what their kids are doing. Sometimes kids need tough love," she said.

"You have to set boundaries for your kids and you should know where they are at all times," Omololu-Olunloyo said.

"Nothing is 100%, but we have to do everything we can to keep our kids safe and out of trouble."

She raised three kids on her own, including one with special needs.

"Being a single parent is no excuse. You do what you have to do," she said.

"We need to mobilize the community," Omololu-Olunloyo said.

She urged Mayor-elect Rob Ford to invest more money into grassroots programs, but to first ensure those programs are working.

Toronto Police echoed her plea that citizens and cops have to work together.

"It's your neighbourhood. Only a small percentage of people cause the problems," Const. Tony Vella said.

"Take charge of your neighbourhood. If you suspect any wrongdoing, call the police or Crime Stoppers,"

While many of this year's gun murders remain unsolved, Vella said that will eventually change.

"It takes time to solve a homicide, there's a lot involved."

Most killers will get caught eventually, he said.

"Any time a young person is killed in a violent attack it's concerning to us. It's also troubling that many of the accused lately are teenagers," Vella said.

"Officers put their lives on the line every day so that your neighbourhood is safe. The least citizens can do is call Crime Stoppers when they see something criminal or know of a crime being committed," he said.

"Everybody has a responsibility here."

Police have taken nearly 60 firearms off the city's streets in the last five weeks alone, he pointed out.

Toronto councillor Michael Thompson said the number of gun deaths is "disturbing and disappointing."

"It also has to be said, there are a lot of African-Canadian kids who are not killing anybody. That has to be buttressed with the problem and how we're helping those kids."